We recently had the incredible opportunity to attend the seventh annual Federation of International Sports Universities (FISU) forum in Lisbon, Portugal. The forum, held every other year, attracts more than 140 student-athletes representing more than 40 nations who gather to discuss issues that affect university sports. The United States Collegiate Sports Council sends representatives to each forum from its membership organizations, and we were lucky enough to represent the NCAA.

Student-athletes throughout the world have one thing in common: They want an education and the chance to play in the sport of their choice. It seems so simple to most, but such a notion is far-fetched in some parts of the world. After participating in the forum, we realized that we are privileged student-athletes who participate in sports sanctioned by quite possibly the most student-friendly sports association in the world, the NCAA. In other parts of the world, university students fight a seemingly constant battle with professors and administrators over balancing education and sports.

It was sad to hear about the lack of regard for student-athlete well-being and the lack of a student-athlete voice within some countries' sports organizations. Even the FISU, the international governing body of university sports, doesn't allow students to have an official voice in its governance structure.

One story in particular amazed us. A president of a sports federation in Portugal had to take a year off from his college education to fulfill his duties. The balance between academics and sport was non-existent in this case. In fact, it was a personal sacrifice for this individual to improve university sports in Portugal.

We cannot fathom playing in a university sports federation that does not have the advantages the NCAA provides. It made us realize how important the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee structure is to the NCAA and how fortunate student-athletes are to have such a meaningful outlet to voice their concerns. This luxury is absent in most countries, and in the few that do have a student-athlete support system, they struggle constantly with the educational system to prove that sports participation can be a meaningful part of the educational experience.

By the end of the week we had forged amazing friendships with student-athletes around the world, and we in turn learned so much about ourselves from their experiences. It was good for us to understand how important student-athletes are to the NCAA, and how important the NCAA is to us.

Katie Groke is a former soccer student-athlete at the University of Wyoming and chair of the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. John Dano, a member of the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, is a baseball student-athlete at Missouri Western State College.